Bord na Móna is planning to build a new inter-county network of walking and cycling trails across bogs previously used for peat extraction in the midlands.
Kildare-based Bord na Móna PLC is seeking tenders for the project, which is worth €30 million.
Funding is being sourced from the EU Just Transition scheme which is aimed at providing new employment opportunities for workers and communities that were heavily dependent on peat production.
Bord na Móna owns thousands of hectares of bogs across the midlands in counties Kildare, Offaly, Laois, Westmeath and Longford.
The strategic network of walking and cycling trails will interconnect with the Greenway network and also re-purpose disused Bord na Móna railway tracks, culverts and underpasses.
The project will also include art installations and signposting to interlink towns, villages, bogs and waterways across the midlands.
The tender documents state that infrastructure such as car parks and fencing will be required.
It is envisaged that planning permission will be required from several local authorities for the proposed trails.
Bord na Móna said it will appoint experts to assist the project including working in the areas of hydrology, traffic and transport, and road safety.
